Page 68 of The Billionaire's Beauty

She smacks her forehead, scrunches up her face, slowly opens her eyes again and takes a deep breath.

My heart sinks even further.

“I want to be supportive. I really do,” she says. “I just don’t understand what makes you feel so sure.”

I struggle for a minute, words failing me.

“It’s the way I catch him looking at me sometimes. Like I’m a miracle. Like he’s won the lottery. It’s the way he lights up when I walk into the room. It’s the way he’s changed since we got together. It’s like he glows from the inside. It’s the vibe I get from him sometimes. It’s needy. Hopeful. Vulnerable. I don’t know if I’m making any sense.”

“You’re making sense, Bells, but that’s what every woman says about the bad boy who’s never going to change for her. You know that.”

“I know,” I say glumly. “I’ve probably got some form of Stockholm syndrome.”

We share a weak laugh.

“Look,” she says. “I don’t want to squash all your hopes and dreams. Maybe he is your prince. If you really think he is, then go for it.”

My ears perk up. “What do you mean?” I say, my heart beginning to thump with excitement.

“I mean, tell him how you feel. Lay all your cards on the table. Go big or go home—”

“You just said—”

“I know I did, but I also know how you are. You’ll never be satisfied unless you give it your best shot. And if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll know you tried. So you can move on with the rest of your life with no regrets.”

“Funny you should say that. I just got an email from my contact at the admissions office at NYU.”

“What? The one you had such a great interview with? Who was so disappointed that you went with Berkeley?”

“Yes. She said she was just checking in and wants me to call her if I ever need anything or if I decide I’m not happy at Berkeley. She didn’t come right out and say it, but I had the feeling that she’d help me transfer after the first semester if I decided I wasn’t happy at Berkeley.”

Ella looks impressed. “That’s amazing. So there’s your opening with Griffin.”

“That’s what I was kinda thinking, yeah,” I say, afraid to get my hopes up too high. “Is this an insane idea? What do you think?”

“I think you’d be insane not to go with your gut and do what you need to do to be happy.”

“Thanks,” I say, my relieved smile threatening to swallow my entire face. Ella’s support and encouragement mean the world to me. Always have. If she thinks this is possible, then it really is. As long as Griffin’s willing to meet me halfway and give this a chance, that’s all I need. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck. Keep me posted.”

“I will. Love you. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I finish packing and take my carry-on out to the living room, where I discover Griffin exactly as he was, still staring down at his hands. Actually, there’s something new this time: a muscle flexing in his tight jaw. The sight of all this tension does nothing to soothe my nerves and kicks off another round of babbling.

“Ready whenever you are,” I say. “Thanks again for letting me take the jet. And for holding down the forts with Jeremy and at the office until I get back. I run a tight ship, so I’d better not come back to chaos and turmoil. I’m warning you now.”

He clears his throat as he stands and takes the handle of my carry-on. “Noted. Let’s go.”

No eye contact. None whatsoever.

The idea of driving to the airport and then leaving for several days with this cloud of uncertainty over my head feels like a death sentence. I can’t take it for another second.

“Griffin. What the hell is going on? And don’t tell me nothing.”

He hesitates, each millisecond shaving a year off my life.

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